I won't make any, but I will review why I signed up for drum and guitar lessons in the first place.

Success, I've been told, is a result of our habits, our habits are the consequence of our actions. Actions come from our values. Values are bred into us. So, resolutions in conflict with our values are doomed. But, habits born of awareness of our values have a chance.

“Private Practice Determines Public Performance” Carl Allen, December issue of Downbeat Magazine “Start with the end in Mind” Stephen Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleTips on Practicing

I just finished reading Carl Allen’s article in the current issue of Downbeat magazine. Carl, a drummer, reviews his philosophy of drummer. Most of it is applicable to piano and guitar as well.

Inspired, I offer this.

Listen to competent recordings of your pieces over a number of days. This will cement in your head the sound you are looking for. The result is that you know the end result and can then interpret the notation in front of you. Without this, you may never be quite sure if you nailed it or not.

We play like we practice, so…

1. Practice fully engaged: mentally and emotionally2. Remember, it has to be in muscle memory to be secure3. Practice slowly, listen deeply, be patient, and pay attention to the fine details from the start: articulations, dynamics, phrasing, tone, etc… 4. Tempo will come later.5. Imagine you have to play publically in a week. Then tackle the pesky bits first. :-)Cheers,David Storywww.davidstory.ca